Osborn Engineering Company

Architect/Firm: Osborn Engineering Company
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Name: Osborn Engineering Company

Birth/Established: 1892 Death/Dissolved: Present

Biography:

Osborn Engineering Company, Cleveland's oldest engineering firm, was founded on July 1, 1892, by Frank C. Osborn, formerly the chief engineer for Cleveland's King Bridge Co. Osborn's new company offered a wide range of services, including the designs, plans, estimates, and construction supervision for roofs, buildings bridges, railways, and highways. Such diversity enabled the Osborn Co.- Civil Engineers to survive the severe economic depression of the 1890s. It was incorporated on May 16, 1900, as the Osborn Engineering Company. During its first 4 decades, Osborn built its reputation as the "stadium designers for the Nation". By the time of its selection as the project engineer for Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1928, the company had designed more than 75 sports facilities, including New York's Yankee Stadium, Boston's Fenway Park, and Chicago's Comiskey Park. Osborn has continued to design stadiums, working on projects for professional sports teams, major universities, racetracks, fairgrounds, high schools, and municipalities. As early as 1959, Osborn Engineering had completed a design for domed stadiums. In 1958, the company was looking for a broader market for its services, particularly as domestic industrial construction and plant expansion decreased. It turned its attention toward domestic firms that were expanding their operations into international markets. The company designed factories for locations in South Africa, France, Saudi Arabia, and South America. This expansion enabled Osborn to recover from a postwar decline; in 1963 it began hiring additional employees. Business remained strong throughout the 1960s. As engineering became more competitive in the 1970s, Osborn expanded its range of services by forming partnerships. In 1971 it created Osborn Engineers Architects & Planners, and in 1974 both Osborn Co. Architects-Engineers and Osborn Co. Consulting Engineers. The company remains based in Cleveland with offices in the Penton Media Building.

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